Job 22 FALSE ACCUSATIONS The charges of secret sins, hypocrisy and lying of Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar made against Job in the first two interchanges of accusation and rebuttal between them, did not change the opinions and position of any of them. They had their minds made up and did not want to be bothered by trying to find out the actual truth. Instead they relied on experiences that happened to others, traditions they had followed that had been passed on from others and religion that they thought was superior to actual personal faith. Job's replies to the accusations of the three of them, was that even though some of the points they made were tight, they did not apply to his situation.
One of the serious results of on-going arguments and debated is that those involved will usually go too far, both in accusations and in defense. Often the result is also half-truths and, in moments of frustration, outright lies on both sides. Previously Eliphaz had approached describing his opinions in a patronizing attempt of being an older man talking sense to a younger man who doesn't know too much. But Job refused to accept the premise that because Eliphaz was older. he had all the answers. And that seemed to make Eliphaz mad.
This time Eliphaz lists specific sins against Job, and then takes it upon himself to explain God to Job, who "feared God and eschewed evil." Eliphaz in a sense put his foot in his mouth in his first statement when he said God is not concerned with a person's righteousness or way of living. He doesn't both Himself with such trivial things. We know a person can be profitable to God when they are committed to worship "the Father in spirit and in truth." Reverence, respect and honor for God are attitudes of gratitude. Love and thanksgiving to God come from those who appreciate the Lord for who He is, not just what He does.
The appears that Eliphaz thought God was too busy dealing with Job's wickedness to consider his righteousness. His opinion was that Job's positive morality which he stated, was only a smoke-screen to cover his wickedness which he then takes pains to list. To him the reason for Job's suffering had not changed. Job could say what he wanted, but Eliphaz was sure he knew better. God was punishing Job because he had taken bribes, had taken the cloths off the back of the poor, he would not even give a thirsty person something to drink or a hungry person something to eat. He said he took land he should not have had, wouldn't help widows and orphans. Now it was his turn to suffer. "No wonder you are suffering!"
Eliphaz implied Job may have fooled his friends by hiding fraud, greed, deceit and a hard-hearted attitude toward others, but he had not fooled God. These kinds of accusations came from the mind of a man who thought he was a man of experience and wisdom, and he just could not understand why Job would accept what he said. In his own mind he had obvious expertise in all matters of life and the knowledge of God.
To many such people there is the false assumption that if you are righteous or wicked doesn't matter to God or have any effect on Him. Even if it was true that you are righteous, do you expect God to be grateful to you for being what you should be? In Eliphaz's perspective, if a person is wise, appears kind, and has prospered, God will not allow him to suffer. He only allows suffering as a punishment on a person for their sin. Because of Job's extreme degree of suffering and loss, his punishment is fitting his crime. His wickedness was very great or he would not be going through such a terrible time.
What Eliphaz said is partially true. God is not dependent in any way upon our righteousness and He is not diminished in any way by the actions of the wicked. So, we can in no way add anything to the attributes or actions of our infinite, sovereign God. As believers we know He is worshipped for who He is in His majesty and glory. Eliphaz then sets out to explain God to Job, who he thought Job could not figure out nor could see what God was doing on earth. It seems like he misunderstood what Job meant by "thick clouds," and "cannot see," and Job was limiting God. It is true God is not obligated to us in any way, but neither is it true God has no interest in what is going on in our lives.
Our God is a Father to those who believe on Him. We know He is involved in all aspects of our lives. He wants to give to His children the benefits and blessings that a Father gives His obedient children. When we sin, He is grieved and can deal with us in whatever way He chooses. When we obey, it is expected behavior. As our benevolent Father, he has the right to do what He knows is best for us even though it may not be what we want.
Eliphaz's denunciation of Job's lack of compassion and his basic inhumanity is perhaps a reflection on what he had seen in others or may have experienced himself. Smug complacency is a common problem to those who have no real needs themselves. They often choose to be ignorant of the urgency of the needs of others around. Eliphaz did seem to understand that to not do right, is as wrong as doing what we know is wrong. His charges against Job in this regard were false assumptions, not accurate charges. He was making serious false accusations which were wrong.
False accusations lead to false deductions. In charging Job with ignoring the needs of others, Eliphaz said Job was trapped by his own sins, fears, darkness of understanding and the disasters which fell on him. He thought Job was taking his sin problem too lightly, which is the case of many people who think God does not notice what they do. Because of his own personal opinion, Eliphaz thought this applied to Job when it really did not.
Like so many people today, Job's friends knew some things about God but didn't know God. They knew of His truth, the perfections of His character, but didn't know how to apply what they knew to reality and to life's real situations. There are very different in people who are different in personality, culture, spirituality and emotionally that respond to the same thing in different ways. God only knows how best to deal with each person and what each person is capable of enduring. "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
Job's understanding of God was far superior than that of his friends because he had been living for God and in fellowship with God for much of his life. He knew God was real and communicated with God in quite an open way. He had already come to God as a sinner and appealed for forgiveness as he mentioned earlier in the book. He had lived in the good of that so long that when disaster struck, he was confused as to what had happened and why.
Poor Eliphaz knew only enough about God to display his ignorance and spiritual weakness. Job on the other hand, knew he could go to God personally, did so without a lot of fanfare or drama, because he knew God. Eliphaz had though he flattened Job right out for charging him with sins against humanity, and then he went further by turning to history as a way to convict and condemn Job. He even told Job how God's judgment would come, in what ways, on those who are wicked.
Surprisingly then comes from the words of the uppity Eliphaz, some of the most important words in the whole book on repentance and faith. What he said next was right. His discourse on the steps of restoration after repentance, and what it means to return to the Lord is spot on. Reconciliation, responding in faith to God's word, rejecting anything that is wrong between us and God, will bring joy, fellowship, openness in prayer on the part of a humble person, and peace. When we have been reconciled and restored to the Lord because the barriers caused by sin are removed, then we are able in turn to be "reconcilers," with the "ministry of reconciliation."
Eliphaz's exhortations to Job were quite right and good. The message and the man with the message seem very different. His instruction was good but his attitude was bad. The information he passed on was appropriate, but the man's arrogance seemed to be incongruous with what he said. In his failure, ignorance and dogmatism, he inadvertently drove Job to God, who he cannot understand but who he knows is absolutely righteous.
It seems like in some of the negatives in the arguments of Job's three friends, positive things come out in spite of themselves. God is not limited by our failures or by our positive affirmations. We may do bad things or not do what is right, but both are sin. When we have experienced life with God, we are blessed and can be a blessing to others because God can use frail mortal people to bless others in His name. A person who is away from God, can return in repentance and be reconciled to Him when he or she receives his word in its reality personally and rejects evil deliberately. Restoration in the life of one away from God, opens the door to real prayer, responsible living, benefits to others - and peace in ourselves.